The Men Who Stare At Goats by Grant Heslov

For the first half of The Men Who Stare At Goats I was overwhelmed with the sheer audacity of what I was seeing, that I didn't care that the story was moving at such a snails pace. But the second half of the film sinks and sinks quickly and gets too bogged down in trying to tie all of the strands of the story up, which is a real shame because the first half is a riot.

Grant Heslov who wrote Good Night and Good Luck with George Clooney has what it takes as a director. He directs proceedings with a fresh and unique eye, a lot of the angles used reminded me of Clooneys directing debut Confessions Of A Dangerous Mind but here they are showing up the absolute lack of war that is going on in Iraq. It's just a shame that more time wasn't put into the script but I guess when you get the likes of this cast together you either go with what you've got and hope they make the most of what's there or loose some glorious performances.

Everyone in it are at their very best and all look like they are having a ball. Stephen Lang plays it straight but is hilarious, is there anything finer then seeingg him decked out in his best tennis clothes reading a book too seriously. Hilarious. Jeff Bridges plays the dude but it's as if this film is the prequel to 'The Big Lebowski' an origin story of the dude. And that is A-okay with me. Kevin Spacey is a hoot and I much prefer George Clooney in this mode of acting that he does, all wild bug eyes and far too serious for himself than his style of acting that he invokes in films like 'Up In The Air' which I seem to be one of the few people that was bored by. And finally Ewen McGregor plays the straight man in the piece and does it superbly well.

ALl up if your up for a bit of a surreal take on the Iraq go along for the ride but just know that at some point the film does sag under it's own story.

Thank you for everyone involved.

Crazy Heart by Scott Cooper

Crazy Heart belongs to Jeff Bridges. The oscar for best actor in 2010 belongs to Jeff Bridges.

There is nothing new story wise going on in Crazy Heart, you could really call it The Wrestler but for country music. But like Up In The Air it is so assured of its rythemns with in the film that it makes it so soothing and easy to watch but also heart breaking much like a great country song works.

This film succeeds due to its commanding performances by all involved. The only exception is that Maggie Gyllenhaal seems slightly miscast. Not because of her performance because she is exceptional, well wrought and emotionally honest. But the character feels like her time with Bad Blake should be her last gasp at finding a healthy relationship but when your character is 32 it's hard to think that way.

Colin Farrell who seems to be excluded from all form of marketing for the film puts in a very touching portrayal of friend who has passed his teacher. Farrell and Bridges scene in the restaurant I found to be breathtaking. You could feel Farrell overwhelmed at being in the presence of a hero of his in Bridges and it makes the scene that more remarkable.

Robert Duvall as Bad Blakes only friend gives an energetic performance. A great counter balance to Jeff Bridges. Full of energy and a new view on the world that a recovered alcoholic would encounter on passing through rehabilitation.

But the film belongs to Jeff Bridges. He really is a miraculous actor. From The Last Picture Show, to The Dude in The Big Lebowski and Fearless, I have always found him to be pitch perfect but an actor who doesn't seem to go for the easy way out. His final scenes between Maggie Gyllenhaal are some of the most moving I have seen in the cinema this year. His portrait of a man finally grabbing out for that last bit of fading light is a sight to behold. Sure it's not the transformative work that we have seen nab the best actor gong in the past two years with Daniel Day Lewis and Sean Penn but it is raw, with an emotional directness like a bullet to the the heart that makes it compelling. So a big thank you Mr Bridges and to you Scott Cooper for getting him to sign on to your film.